


Commander of the Grey and Herald of Andraste

by KirkwallsChamp



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age Inquisition - Fandom, Dragon Age Origins, dragon age (all)
Genre: F/M, Hero of Ferelden - Freeform, inquisitor - Freeform, inquisitor cousland, inquisitor is hero of ferelden au, warden inquisitor au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 09:50:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11644020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirkwallsChamp/pseuds/KirkwallsChamp
Summary: Commander of the Grey, Janna Cousland, is caught in yet another catastrophe of epic proportions. Marked by the rift that spat her out, she stands as the one and only force between an ancient evil and the world of Thedas.But can she survive this new threat? And how will she fare when old threats emerge to overtake what little peace she’d retained?





	Commander of the Grey and Herald of Andraste

**Author's Note:**

> this prologue does use the template/some of the same lines from the prologue of Inquisition. I do not own this dialogue in any way shape or form-- I simply use this as a base point to write this AU and to explore how Cousland would react in this scenario, as opposed to an entirely new character. Cheers!

Warden Commander Janna Cousland dreamed of everything and nothing in her haze; spidery demons chasing her up cracked black staircases made of stones, which rapidly became like a ladder-- sheer and unyielding as she fled. A figure bathed in light above her urged her on-- a woman-- as the black city and a rift of green darkness loomed behind her. The last thing she saw as their fingers intertwined was the temple of sacred ashes she'd discovered long ago, blasted apart brick by brick.

Then darkness.

She awoke in a dungeon, her wrists bound in a stockade, green light blistering from her dominant palm. The chantry symbol on the stone floor was worn, but visible, giving her a frame of reference-- was she still in Haven?

The door to the dungeon slammed open, revealing two women strutting forward with purpose-- one, a former friend, whose eyes seemed to no longer look upon her kindly. The other, a far more domineering woman, was one she was unfamiliar with. Her cropped hair was haloed with a braid which suggested... Navarran descent? Likely someone to do with the conclave, if they  _were_  still in Haven after all. With the door barred behind them, a squadron of armed guards posted at each corner, though they put away their weapons for the time being.

Janna felt feverish, the pulsing in her hand unfamiliar and unpleasant.

The Navarran spoke first, "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now?"

Janna knew a challenge when she saw one; she'd been fighting darkspawn for too long, and human politics for even longer. She decided to stay her tongue, and not take the bait.

"The conclave is destroyed, and everyone who attended is dead. Except for you."

Still, she kept silent.

Unsatisfied with this as an answer, the woman lunged forward, grabbing hard on Janna's wrist, and wrenching the mark skyward, "Explain this," then throwing her hand back forcefully as the mark popped to life in answer.

Through gritted teeth Janna found her voice at last, touched with her well known temper, "I  _can't_."

"What do you mean, you can't?!"

"Listen," Janna tried to be calm, glancing up at Leliana for something-- anything-- though the redhead couldn't meet her gaze, "I don't know what that thing is, or how it got there."

"You're lying," her captor hissed, grappling the front of her civilian armor. Janna steeled herself for the worst--  _it wouldn't have been the first time she'd been_ _hit while defenseless_ \-- when Leliana decided to intervene. She pulled the other girl away, gently warning her, "Cassandra..."

The one called Cassandra seemed upset, but persuaded, stepping toward the dungeon door once more, and swinging it open on it's hinges before pausing once more.

"Let me go," Janna spoke with her calmest tone, "Leliana, please... You know me. It's  _me_."

Leliana seemed to catch herself reacting, pulling away for a moment to save face, before asking softly, "Janna. Do you remember what happened? How this began?"

"I remember a dream... Or something... Running. Unfamiliar creatures chasing me, and... A figure, bathed in light. It might have been a woman?"

"A woman?" Leliana seemed more than a little taken back.

"She reached out to me, and then... I--- I'm sorry, I don't--"

Cassandra put a hand on Leliana's shoulder, attempting to comfort her as she instructed, "Go to the forward camp. I will take her to the rift."

Without another word, Leliana departed, and Janna was left alone with Cassandra. With a hardened gaze, Cassandra knelt beside her, unfastening the stockade before winding rope tightly around Janna's wrists, and helping her to her feet, if a bit roughly.

"She's too soft on you," She growled, more than partially to herself, "She's not thinking objectively. Even an old friend can do more harm than good."

"What am I being accused of?" Janna asked seriously.

"It will be easier if I show you-- what came  _after you_." Cassandra merely replied, steering her prisoner by the shoulders toward the open door. Beyond the door, Janna had to pause, the light difference becoming searing for a moment. When her eyes adjusted, however, she was overtaken with shock and awe. A tear in the sky spat green flames and a hurricane of light energy and floating stone toward the ground-- based in what appeared to be the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

Cassandra didn't seem to share her silent awe however, continuing to elaborate.

"We call it  _the breach_. It's a massive rift into the fade, that grows larger by the hour. It's not the only one, but it is the largest. All of them were caused by the explosion at the conclave."

"I didn't know an explosion could do that," Janna shook her head, incredulously.

"This one did," Cassandra snapped curtly, "And unless <you> fix it, the breach will grow until it swallows the world."

On cue, the breach cracked loudly, pulsing energy in a thunderous blast that took Janna to her knees. She moaned, a scream ripped from her throat as she felt the mark on her hand contract with the contact. Cassandra seemed unphased once again, however, dropping to one knee to look Janna in the eyes.

"Each time the breach grows, that mark spreads. And make no mistake, it <is> killing you."

_No. Alistair-- He’d--_

She forced the fearful thought down, and attempted to regain her composure as Cassandra puncutated her speech one last time.

"It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time."

Janna shook her head, sighing and finally giving in, "I understand. I'll do what I can--  _whatever it takes_."

The first hint of a smile appeared on Cassandra's face at her response, though she hid it well as she grabbed the back of Janna's shirt once again, hoisting her back to her feet and pressing her to move forward. The people of Haven watched her darkly as they maneuvered to the city's gates. Janna continued to look at the ground, avoiding meeting anyone's eyes as Cassandra attempted to explain, "They've already decided on your guilt. They  _need_  it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia. This conclave was her last chance to mend what was broken in Kirkwall years ago. She only wanted peace," Cassandra's voice became thick with emotion, "between the mages and the templars,"

They continued on along a frozen dirt path, heading up toward the mountains and over the lake that surrounded Haven, now frozen solid and stained with the blood of unknown people, fighting for their lives.

"She brought their leaders here, together. And now everyone is dead."

Janna felt the emotion of the other woman acutely, her throat tightening slightly in response.

"Cassandra, I'm sorry..."

A bitter chuckle escaped the Navarran.

"We-- I-- Lash out. Like the sky. But she thought beyond herself-- and called us to as well. Until the breach is sealed."

She turned, drawing a knife, and at last cut loose Janna's bonds, "There will be a trial. I can promise no more. Now come, there's a smaller rift not far from here."

Janna fell into silence once more.

_Time to test their theory, I suppose._


End file.
